Clutch-throwing mechanism.



PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

A. H. FE'I."'['E.RS-v CLUTCH THROWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1905.

2 SHEET8-SHEBT ,1.

511 wcnlfo:

attouwqs PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gnaw-"row t m M W? ARTHUR H. FETTERS, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

CLUTGH-THROWING MECHANISM.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed May 17, 1905. Serial No. 260,827.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. FETTERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch-Throwing Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the fol: lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip-' tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which, it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to actuating mechanism, and more particularly 'to clutchthrowing devices.

One of the objects thereofis to provide means for throwing a lever with facility against a comparatively great resistance.

Another object is to provide simple and efficient clutch-throwing means.

Another object is to provide means for throwing -a clutch member with any desired degree of force. v

Another objectis to provide means in connection with those of the second-mentioned type which shall be under complete and convenient control at all times.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in art pointed out hereinafter.

he invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the apparatus hereim after described am? the scope bf the application of which will be indicated in the followin claims.

%n the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a lever with associated parts. Fig. 3 'is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2. 4 is a cross-section of a valve. Fig. '5isa detail view of a spring; F 6 is a 7 Ian of the spring shown in Fig: 5, s owing 1ts' relation to the coacting parts.

Similar reference characters refer tb 'fi i'm llar parts throughout the several viewseqfithg drawings.

As tending to render better understood certain of the features of my invention, it may here be noted that I have found that in connection with a vehicle driven by power transmitted through a clutch it is hi hly desirable that the action of the clutch e at.- all times under complete and exact control, so as to-enable the same to be thrown inawithr out injurious shock and jar to the machinery or the discomfort to the passengers resulting from'an excessively sudden start. It may also be noted that I have found it desirable to provide means whereby the members of a clutch which is to transmit a considerable amount of power may be thrown into operative relation without the expenditure of any material amount of manual labor by the operator. The above and other advantageous features are attained in constructions of the nature of that hereinafter described.-

Referring now to the drawings by numoral, 1 indicates any suitable 'bracket which is bifurcated at its free end and pivotally supports a lever 2, extending through such bifurcation.- The lower end of lever 2 engages one of the members of a clutch 2 for throwing the clutch into operation when the lever is swung in one direction and for throwing the clutch out of operation when the lever is swung in the opposite direction.

The clutch 2 may be of any preferred type as far'as the present invention is concerned and has therefore not been shown in detail 1 in the accompanying drawings. The u per pnd of the .lever 2 is pivotally engaged y a ink 3, which link in turn is engaged by a second link 4, constituting a piston-rod, carrying a piston 5, arranged within a cylinder 6. The link 4 extendsCbeyOnd the cylinder G-and is pivotally'con'nected to a lever 7. I

A pressure supply and exhaust pipe 8 communicates with one and of the cylinder 6, and said pipe extends from said cylinder to the valve-casing 9 of the valve 10, carried by the lever 7. The valve 10 is slidingly mount- ,ed in the open-ended casing 9 and is provided with an annular groove 11, extendingfor a greater art of the length of the valve 10 and'of su cient Width for permitting reg- Tistration with the annular grooves 12' and 13 of the casin 9 simultaneousl whereby pressure may 'be admitted from t e pressuresupply pi e 14, leading from any suitable source .01 pressure-supply (not ilu to the, pipe 8. To normally prevent such 'suppi'y, a strap or other suitable sup ort 14 is fixedbeneath the casing 9 and is s 'dingly strated) penetrated by a stem 15, carried bythe lower end of the valve 10, said valve being surrounded by a coil-spring 16, normally pressing the valve 10 upwardly for cutting off communicationibetween the pipe 8 an the atmosphere.

The lever 7 is bifurcated, as seen 3,

and incloses the segment-rack 17, a pawl 18 being carried by the lever 7 in position for being pressed into engagement with the teeth of the rack 17 by a suitable spring '19, engaging said pawl. The usual link 20 extends from the pawl 18 to the gripping-lever 21, pivoted near the upper end of lever 7 and adapted to be pressed toward the lever 7 for elevating the pawl 18 out of engagement with the rack 17. The pawl 18 is of course beveled, as usual, so as to walk over the teeth of rack 17 in one direction and for locking against return.

The valve 10 is provided with an upwardlyprojecting stem 22, above which is arranged the free end of a valve-actuating lever 23, said lever 23 being pivoted to the lever 7 .and at its free end being engagedby a rod 24,

extending upwardly to and pivotally engaging a gripping-lever 25, the gripping-lever 25 belng pivoted to the lever 7 near its up er end. A suitable spring 26 is interposed etween the lever 25 and lever 7 for retaining the same normally in position, with the rod 24 depressed and the free end of the lever 23 elevated out of-operative engagement with the stem 22. As best seen 111 Fig. 6, the lever23 is .provided with a ltaerally-projecting spring-tooth 27, designed to engage any one of a series of notches 28, formed in the segmental plate 29, fixed to the lever 7.

As seen in Fig. 1, the lever 2 preferably engages a clutch-actuating mechanism, but as far as the present invention is concerned may actuate any device wherein the control is desired to beeither manual or under pressure and where the amount of pressure employed is positively controlled. The clutch tance for causing the ever 23 to swing upon its pivot until the tooth 27 comes into engagement with the first notch 28, which operation will cause the free end of the lever 23\ to be, sent an extent suflicient for causing the valve 10' to travel downwardly until the lower edgeof'the groove 11 begins to register with the groove 13,, so that a relative small quantity of pressure is admitted through the pipe '8 to the cylinder 6, and the piston 5 is thrown under a slight; pressure, which will accomplish the desired result of pressing'the above-mentioned clutch member into operative engamgement only to a slight extent. When ther engagement of said clutch permitting the valve 10 member is desired, it is only necessary to press the lever 25 upwardly another step, or to the extentnecessary for causing the tooth 27 to engage the next notch 28, whereupon the valve 10 is depressed to an extent for further opening communication between 1 the pipes 14 and 8, which are of flexible material, and. allowing a greater amount of ressure to be admitted to the cylinder 6. hen it"is desired to throw the clutch member to its fullest extent, the lever 25 is pressed toward the lever 7 to its fullestextent, and the tooth 27 of lever 23 is caused to move into engage ment with the uppermost notch 28, which movement insures the depression of the valve 10 to its limit, at which point the communication between the pipes 14- and 8 is completed and the entire pressure-supply topipe 14 will be communicated to the cylinder 6. It is to be noted that when a small quantity of pressure is admitted to the cylinder 6 the lever 7 is moved for a short distance over the segments 17 and is locked at such point by the pawl 18, and after the lever 25 is released the spring 26, which is considerably stronger than the engagement-tooth 27 will throw the lever 25 back to its-normal position, returning the lever 23 to its normal position and to be moved upwardly under the action 6f spring 16, which operation permits oi the discharge 41f pressure from the cylinder 6 through the open lower end of the casing It is therefore ap parent that the tooth 27 is not intended to lock the lever'23 at the various points of the several'notches 28, but is only intended to indicate to the operator that the lever 23 has assumedone of the several steps of its various positions, and said tooth 27 is designed to readily move past the notches 28 in either direction when the lever 25 is actuated in one direction manually 'or in the other direction by the spring 26.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the movable member of the clutch may, be thrown into engagement with the power member for transmitting movement at various speeds, according to the degree of tightness of contact of the arts of the clutch, or, in other words, accor ing tothe amount of slip permitted between" arts of the clutch.

The mechanism driven y the clutch may thus be given anyspeed desired from the minimum up. to as high a speed as that at which the driving member ottheclutch is rotated, the movable clutch memberbeing held in any given position by the ratchet 18 and being readily movable to an inoperative position by 0 eration of the lever 21 and the swingingof t e lever 7 in a direction opposite its former' 'movement whcn acted u on by pressure in the cylinder 6. The fact t t thelower end of the valve-casing 9 is open and the pipe 8 communicates with'su'ch lower end permits the ready and discharge, of

air to and from the cylinder 6, which pre' I vents vacuum therein and facilitates manual actuation of the lever'7. The head of the cylinder 6 opposite that-entered by pipe 8 may be provided with any suitable perforatifons for permitting admission and discharge 0 an.

In order to avoid ambiguity in the mean: ing of the term clutch as used throughout this description and the following claims, it may here be noted that the same is employed in a broad sense as denoting any powertransmitting means adapted to be thrown into and out of inoperative condition. It will thus be seen that I have. provided mech anism which on account of the few parts, simple construction. and positive action thereof is adapted to operate in a reliable and efficient manner under all conditions of use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely diiierent embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and no't in a limiting sense. I desire it also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language mightbe said to fall therebetween.

What I claim is- 1. In a mechanism of the class described, in combination, a clutch member, means for moving said member, a detent for preventing retraction of the clutch-member-moving means in its various positions, pressure-controlled means for actuating said clutch memher-moving means and manually-actuated means for operating said clutch-member-movmg means.

2. In a mechanism of the class described, in combination, a clutch member, means for moving the same, a pressure-cylinder, means connected therewith for actuating the clutchmoving means, a normally open discharge for the cylinder, a s ring pressed valve adapted to be actuate for closing such discharge and supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinder, and means for governing said valve.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, in combination, a clutch member, means for moving the same, a.pressurecylinder, a'piston connected therewith for operating said clutch-member-actuating means, the said cylinder having a normally. 0 en exhaust, a spring-pressed valve adapte to be actuated for closmg said exhaust means for supplying pressure to said cylinder, and means for actuating the said valve.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, in combination, a clutch member, a cylinder, a piston therein connected with said clutch member, a manually-operated lever connected with said clutch member and adapted to actuate the same independently of said cylinder, a normally open spring-pressed valve controlling the exhaust from sa1d'cyl inder, and means mounted adjacent said manually-actuated lever for controlling said valve.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, in combination, a clutch member, a'piston for actuating the same, a cylinder inclosing said piston, means for supplying pressure to said cylinder, a lever controlling the supply of pressure, a manually-operated lever mounted adjacent the first-mentioned lever and connected with said clutch member for imparting movement thereto independently of the cylinder, and means connecting the two levers for transmitting movement from one to the other. Y

6. In mechanism of the class described, in combination, a clutch member, a cylinder, a plston within said cylinder connected with said clutch member, a manually-actuated lever connected with said clutch member adapte ed to actuate the same independently of said I cylinder, and means mounted upon'said lever controlling the pressure within said cylinder.

7. In mechanism of the class described, in combination, a movable member, a manuallyactuated "lever connected therewith and adapted to move the same, a source of power,

means-connecting said source of power with said movable member, and means mounted upon said lever connected with and adapted to control said source of power.

8. Inmechanism of the class described, in combination, a clutch member, a cylinder, a piston within said cylinder connected with said clutch member, means adapted to supply a compressed fluidto said cylinder, a manually-actuated lever adapted to actuate said der, a valve controlling the admission and exhaust of said cylinder, and means mounted upon said lever controlling said valve.

9. In mechanism of the class described, in

piston within said cylinder, a connection between said piston and said clutch member, a manually-actuated lever connected with said clutch member, means adapted normally to maintain communication between said cylinder and the atmosphere, and manually-actuated means adapted to cut of? said .communication and lead a compressed fluid within said cylinder, said manually-actuated means being mounted upon said lever.

10. In mechanism of the class described, in combination, a clutch comprising fixed and movable members, a lever connected with said movable membena cylinder, a piston within clutch member independently of said cylin combination, a clutch member, a cylinder, 2.

said eylinder, aimdextendingifromsaidpiston, a manually-actuated 'lever, connections between each erf'said .ieversand-seidpistomrod, a valve controlling (the preesurewithin said eyiinder, and-.manually eqmrolled meensieen .tmili I seidmzl-ve.

1:1. nmechanismoftheelees descnibeiiin eumbination, a elutch comprising fixed rend movable members, as :lever connected with said amevehie member, n. eylinder, e piston Within said cylinder, 2% rod extending :from said piston, :a manually-actuated ilever, eonnectsions between eankiefi saidzlevers :endsaid fPiStQIhIOd, a valve euntrolling itihe :pressure within eaidieylindei', and mannallymen'urolled meens-eontrdiling said w'alve,-said menuellsyeontrdlledimeans being mounted upon said seeonddever.

1-2. Linimeehenismieftheelasedescribediin combination, venluteh comprising fixed rand movable members, m liever leonnected with said movable :member, a aoylinder, emission Within said cylinder, a rod'emending hem said :piston, a imanudliy aetuated Eleven, 00nnectzions betweemeach dfrseiddevers: and-said piston od, a. waive ieonsmlling itihe LPIBSSDPG within said cylinder, manually-summit means centrellin'g said valve, "said rmammiiyeontrelied means being mounted uponsairl second iever, and means adapted to restrict theimovamentwd saidseeend level-inane dimotion. Y

13. In mechanism of the class described, in combination. a elutuh eomprisingfixedand movable members, a iever connected with said :mevabie member, a eylinder, e piston .wit hin :said cylinder, a red extending mm said piston, a manually actuated lever, eonneetions between-Leach of said levers and said pist0n-.r0d, a, valve nontrolling the pressure within said ieyiinder, imanuailyecontroiied means restricting-said second lever, andm piv- Qtemmembermdjaeent to the freeend of said second lever eunnente'd with-end adapted -:to control said valve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature iIHPIIBSBIlGflQDfabWO witnesses.

ARTHUR H. TETEIERS.

Witnesses:

Enema M. Krrennv, Gnmmns LJDimnnY. 

